Soffits are generally used to cover the underside of eaves of homes and other structures which have roof designs wherein the roof extends out over the edge of the structure. Generally, soffits are designed such that they are visible to those located below the eaves and oftentimes are desired to be visually appealing.
Moreover, soffits serve a number of functional purposes, such as to permit air to circulate therethrough to reduce condensation and allow heat to escape from the roof and attic area. Such soffits are typically referred to as vented soffits. In this regard, a number of vented soffits have been designed having a plurality of holes or openings in the soffit to allow ventilation air flow. Additionally, beyond reducing condensation permitting air to flow therethrough, vented soffits are also generally designed to prevent other objects such as insects, animals and leaves from passing through the soffit area and into the attic area. However, vented soffits which permit air and condensation to flow therethrough which have visible openings may be aesthetically displeasing to some observers when looking upwardly at the vented soffit.
To achieve a vented soffit which is both functional and aesthetically pleasing, a number of individuals have attempted to design vented soffit panels which have openings which are at least partially obscured when the soffit panels are installed, so that the soffit panel has a smoother-looking appearance. For instance, examples of such vented soffit panels are discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,941,707 and 7,137,224. However, such vented soffit panels have obscured openings which suffer from a number of problems, such as, for example, poor circulation, weakened panel structures, brittle panels and may also may be problematic to install.
For example, even if the vented soffit has hidden openings so that the openings cannot be viewed by an observer from the ground looking upward, the openings must have sufficient surface area to permit necessary ventilation flow rates. In this regard, a number of attempts have been made to place all of the openings on the sidewalls of a partially hidden channel. However, this may present problems as, in some instances, either not enough openings located on the sidewalls of the channels and/or the openings must be located close to the edges of the sidewalls, thereby creating weakened points in the soffit. These weakened points can be problematic as oftentimes when the soffit panel is installed, the soffit panel may need to be bent or flexed to ensure a proper fitment. In this regard, the weakened edges of the sidewalls may create failure points where the soffit panel may break or tear.
Moreover, some of the traditional methods of creating the openings have caused stress points, thereby making the soffits brittle. For example, die stamping is oftentimes used to create the openings in vented soffit panels. Die stamping is typically a violent procedure that punches holes into the metal portions of the soffit panels, which can then create regions of stress in the material of the soffit. These stress regions, and especially when combined with locating the openings near the edge of the side walls of the vented soffits, can cause the soffit to be brittle and/or otherwise susceptible to breaking.